Flower Bouquets
by anonymouslypersonal
Summary: Petunia Evans is a Witch along with her sister Lily Evans. Her presence in the Wizarding World changes things. AU.
1. Chapter 1: When Things Become Realized

The sun was rising outside the window, dusting the walls a coral pink. Staring at the dust motes dancing in the air, Petunia felt an inexplicable peace as something settled within her. For the first time she could remember, her thoughts turned quiet and listened to the straining melody she could suddenly hear in the world around her. _The earth is singing_ , she realized with a jolt. It was the day of her eleventh birthday.

* * *

Rising out of bed, Petunia combed her yellow hair and tied it back. There was a girl with a serious face staring back at her in the mirror. "Happy birthday, Tuney," she whispered to herself. She sat there silently, watching sunlight slowly spill into her room until she heard pots banging downstairs.

"Morning, Mama," she said, one hand on the staircase.

"Good morning, Petunia!" replied Rose, her mother. "And a happy eleventh to you!" She turned away from the sizzling bacon on the stovetop to hug Petunia tight. Petunia hugged back, breathing in the smell of cooking meat and baking bread mingling with the perfume her mother wore.

"Now," said Rose briskly, "why don't you set the table while I finish up breakfast?" Petunia nodded, and began setting silverware. She noticed a vase full of white petunias and lilies in the center of the table and smiled. Since all the women in her family were named after flowers, it was a tradition to let their namesakes grace the center of their dining table on special days.

Just then, footsteps pounded down the stairs. "Happy birthday, Tuney!" yelled Lily, her uncombed red hair flaming around her face. She gave Petunia a hard squeeze while placing a badly wrapped package in her hands. "Your present," she said with a grin.

"Happy birthday back! Your present is upstairs; I'll go get it later. This looks pretty, by the way," said Petunia.

Her father entered the kitchen from their backyard then, catching the end of the conversation. "You'd better be talking about the inside of that present, Petunia," Jack said, amused. "A bit of a stretch to call it beautiful, isn't it?"

"Daddy!" whined Lily. "It took me ages to wrap!"

"It looks fine, dear," soothed Rose, sending her husband a conspiratory look. "Although perhaps the inside will be even finer."

Petunia laughed. "I like it already, Lily, so don't be angry," she said. She opened her arms for a hug from her father.

"Best birthday wishes, love," whispered Jack, giving her a kiss on the forehead. He then turned to Lily, swooping her around. "And a happy birthday as well to my darling!"

"Thank you, Papa," replied Petunia.

Lily beamed. "Yes, thanks, everyone!"

The family of four sat down to eat, and afterwards watched Petunia and Lily open their gifts. They received clothes and books from their mother, both items which they loved, and Lily's present for Petunia turned out to be a brilliantly blue scarf.

"For the winter," Lily said. "It'll keep you warm."

Petunia laughed out loud. "I guess no one can say we're not twins," she said, and tossed her gift towards Lily.

Lily opened it and laughed as well. It was a beautifully rich red scarf. "Thanks, Tuney!"

Petunia gave her sister another hug, then turned to unwrap her father's present, which was very small. Opening it carefully, she gasped.

"Oh, Papa, it's beautiful," she said. Laying in the middle of the wrapping paper lay a small, perfect, pink petunia encased in glass.

"I managed to find it in the garden outside," Jack said proudly, referring to the Evans' famous flower garden. Petunia thanked her father once again, marveling at the way the glass highlighted the flower's beauty while her father gave Lily her own present.

After breakfast, the family members drifted off to their respective activities; everyone had a free day until the evening, when the family and some of Petunia's and Lily's friends would go out for a celebratory birthday dinner. It was around late afternoon when Petunia cocked her head, hearing a faint melody.

"Do you hear that melody, Mama?" asked Petunia. "What song is that from?"

"I don't hear anything," replied a puzzled Rose. "Maybe you're hearing the telly?"

"No, it's off," said Lily. "But I don't hear anything either. Do you, Mummy?"

"I can't say I do," said Rose. As soon as she finished her sentence, however, she heard the sound of the doorbell and stood to answer it. What she found at the door was a stern-looking woman around the age of fifty. Dressed in a smart suit and her hair up in a tight bun, she looked like a harried businesswoman. "May I help you, madam?" asked Rose politely.

"Yes," said the woman. "If I may, is this the residence of a Misses Petunia and Lily Evans?"

"That is correct," said a confused Rose, wondering if the woman was the girls' school teacher. The same girls now crowded around Rose, having heard their names.

"My name is Professor Minerva McGonagall," introduced the woman. "I am from Hogwarts, the School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and we believe that both your daughters may have magic."

Rose shepherded her daughters behind her, slightly intimidated by the strange words the woman was speaking. "I'm sorry, but this is all very extraordinary," she said.

At that moment, Jack walked in the living room and saw Roses' somewhat threatened face. "Who is it, Rose?" he asked, walking up to the door.

"This is Professor McGonagall," replied Rose in a halting voice. "She says that our daughters are magic." Jack gave her a confused look.

"What? I'm sorry, maybe this is a joke, but please leave us alone," he started to tell Professor McGonagall.

The Professor, however, was undeterred. "I am not surprised by your reaction, Mr. Evans, but this is not a joke. I will show you proof of my words, but it's best that no other Muggles see it. May I step in? I mean no harm."

Hesitantly, Jack stepped back enough to let Professor McGonagall in. She then proceeded to pull out a strange, long stick— _a wand_ , thought Petunia—and hesitated a bit before speaking. "I mean no harm," she repeated. And then she swirled the wand around for a bit, producing a bouquet of flowers amidst a shower of sparks. Everyone in the family gasped, but Petunia and Lily looked excited as well, exchanging looks of hope. Were they, perhaps, able to do that?

"Like I said before," said Professor McGonagall with a satisfied expression, "your daughters are magical witches. If you permit them to attend Hogwarts, they will in time be able to cast as much magic as I. Here, child," she then broke off, "you may keep this." Professor McGonagall handed the bouquet to Lily, who looked quite lovely holding the flowers in her hands.

The woman then looked around the shocked family, clasping her hands tightly. "Well then," she said briskly, "perhaps we may now discuss details."

* * *

Petunia thought she was dreaming. From the moment she had laid eyes on Professor McGonagall, she had heard a burst of song coming from the woman. Petunia had felt an immediate understanding with the Professor; it was not a closeness, but rather an awareness that they were of the same kind of people. And now she and her family were traveling to London, in search of buying magical materials for her magical school. Petunia didn't know how things had happened so quickly.

"Not Ebony, no no," murmured Mister Ollivander. "Perhaps Walnut will do?" Petunia grasped the handsome, dark wood and felt that strange, uplifting melody ring around her ears again, but so loudly this time that she thought her ears would pop.

"Oh yes, that's the one, my dear," said the wandmaker. "Such beautiful music! I've never heard the like. Oh yes, oh yes, you will serve each other very well. Walnut and phoenix feather, eleven inches, unyielding; a powerful combination." Petunia glanced away from Mister Ollivander's keen eyes, grateful that her turn was finally over. After Lily's "willow and unicorn hair, excellent wand for charm work!" wand had chosen her quickly, Petunia had started to worry when her own search had taken almost double the amount of time. Perhaps, she thought to herself, her magic was so weak that other wands had taken a dislike to her. Caught up in the flurry of paying for their purchases, Petunia didn't notice her wand slightly vibrating, as if reacting to her words.

"Goodbye Mama, goodbye Papa," Petunia said, giving each of her parents a kiss and a hug. "We'll see you during the Winter Holidays."

"Yes! Daddy, I'll send you lots of owls! Share them with Mummy," commanded Lily as she received tight hugs from her parents.

Jack and Rose smiled, both their eyes a bit misty as they waved both their daughters onto the train. The young couple felt a distinct sense of loss when the train heading towards Hogwarts disappeared from their sight.

"Ah, they grow up fast, don't they?" sighed Jack, wrapping his arm around Rose.

"They'll be back soon enough," replied Rose, but her eyes were misty with suppressed emotion. They walked back to their car together, both assuaging each other's fears.

On the train, Lily and Petunia dragged their luggage for a bit before dropping the heavy loads out of sheer exhaustion.

"Tuney, our bags are so heavy," complained Lily. Petunia thought for a moment before her eyes brightened.

"Lils, I think I read about a spell called the Feather-Light Charm that could make things lighter! Do you think we could try using magic now that we're actually on the train?"

"I'll take the chance!" said Lily. "Tell me the spell, Tuney, and I'll try it, since Mister Ollivander said my wand would be good at charms." Petunia did, and they yelped in delight after they found that indeed, their luggage was as light as a feather.

"That's amazing," breathed Petunia, and she beamed at Lily, who also looked ecstatic at her first act of magic. Their trunks no longer burdens, the girls pushed along the narrow corridors before arriving at an empty carriage near the end of the train.

"Let's sit here," Lily said firmly. "We won't get bothered as much since we're near the end." Petunia agreed, and the girls bustled around the compartment to lift their bags up in the storage bins before taking seats to enjoy the passing countryside. They had an enjoyable time together for a little while before Petunia noticed a dark shadow lurking near their compartment window.

"Lily, I think there's someone watching us," said Petunia. Lily leapt to her feet and pulled open the door with a great crash. Standing there was a sallow-faced boy who looked like he regretted something very much.

"Why are you just standing there?" asked Lily, genuinely confused. "Do you not have a compartment? Come in here, there's plenty of room to spare." She somehow managed to shove the resisting boy into the carriage, and confidently performed the Feather-Light Charm once more on his luggage. When there was nothing else to do, she sat down next to Petunia to face the boy opposite them.

"I'm Lily Evans, and this is my sister Petunia," she said. "You are?"

"Severus Snape," the boy grimaced. "I—we—live nearby each other."

"Really?" said Lily, surprised. "I've never seen you around the neighborhood before."

Severus grimaced again. "I'm from Spinner's End," he spit out. "Your parents probably told you to stay away from the place, for good reason." He said the word "parents" like it was a bad word.

Although his words were definitely true, Petunia wisely decided not to voice it aloud. "Well, you're here now, and we're all going to Hogwarts together. Were you as surprised as we were when Professor McGonagall showed up to your home?"

"No," he replied, scowling. "My mother is—was—a Witch, so an owl just delivered the letter. Hogwarts sends representatives only to Muggle-borns."

"Professor McGonagall told us what that meant," said Lily with a worried frown. "But I forgot to ask her—does it matter, that Tuney and I have parents with no magic? Does it mean we're not as good as magic, or will people not like us?" Petunia said nothing, but she had to hide her own worry. From her independent reading, she had gathered that there was still a level of discrimination towards Muggles in the Wizarding World.

Severus began to say something, but caught sight of both the girls' faces. Softening a bit, he said bracingly, "It matters a lot—to some people. To some it makes no difference. _I_ say that blood is irrelevant when it comes to talent. You don't need to be a Pureblood to be brilliant." He said the last sentence with a strange pride.

Petunia sat back against the seat, a tiny bit reassured. She would just have to befriend the right sort of people, she told herself. People that would look not at her supposedly lacking family background, but at her own achievements.

Lily, on the other hand, tossed her head and said hotly, "Of course blood doesn't matter! I'll hex anyone who tries to insult Tuney or me because of who we come from." Even Severus had to smile a little at Lily's impassioned words. Lily then turned to Severus. "Will you be our friend, Severus? Tuney and I will need someone to tell us how to navigate the Wizarding World, and I can swear for the both of us that we'll be great friends. That is, of course, if you don't mind being known as friends with Muggleborns," she added pointedly.

Severus suddenly looked incredibly awkward. "I don't have friends," he said gruffly. Petunia, however, rolled her eyes.

"Don't be daft," she said. "We're your friends now, if you agree to be the same. Lily and I take our friendships seriously, though, so be aware of what you're agreeing to."

Severus hesitated before staring at them with the most desperately hopeful eyes Petunia had ever seen. "Alright," he said begrudgingly. "Friends." Lily grinned, exchanging looks with Petunia. They had already figured out that Severus sounded much meaner than he actually was. The three newly minted friends spent the rest of the journey amiably, only lurching to their feet when the conductor's voice rang out to let them know Hogwarts would soon be in sight.

"I'll go outside so that we can change into our robes," Severus said abruptly, his face scarlet. Petunia and Lily giggled at Severus' shyness. After they had gotten their robes on (with the potential House badges empty for now), they crowded around the compartment window until the train screeched to a halt.

Leaving their luggage on board, the three friends elbowed their way out of the train, only to be told to get on a boat. They did so, bracing their knees so that their canoe wouldn't overturn them into the freezing lake.

"I think the three of us will be enough for one boat," said Severus, turning to catch Lily nodding in agreement. Petunia, however, was distracted by the sounds of a humming melody.

"It sounds beautiful," she said, craning her head to catch more of the song. Severus and Lily looked at her oddly.

"There's no music playing, Tuney," said Lily.

"No, there's a sort of humming in the air," replied Petunia, confused. "I swear there is. You don't hear anything?"

Severus gave Petunia a considering glance. "Sometimes wizards or witches can sense magic with a second sense. Maybe you're hearing magic as song."

Petunia was dumbfounded, but she soon wasn't the only one. When the canoes rounded the bend in the lake, they were confronted with the most magnificent castle Petunia could even imagine. As the sound of exclaiming children filled the air, Petunia also listened to the waves of symphonic music filling her eardrums. She felt like she was being welcomed home, sitting underneath a sea of stars in velvety night. Petunia heard a great big sigh, and looked to see Lily dreamily staring at the spiraling turrets silhouetted against the sky. Even Severus looked completely relaxed, a small smile trailing near the edge of his mouth.

"Ladies and gentlemen," said the prefect near the front of the boats with a theatric air, "welcome to the castle of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."


	2. Chapter 2: Everyone Finds a House

**Disclaimer:** Forgot to put this in my last chapter, but all my chapters are based on the Harry Potter franchise, which is completely under the rights of J.K. Rowling. Just borrowing her characters for a bit.

* * *

"The House you will be Sorted into will be your families for the next seven years," said Professor McGonagall. Her tall and thin stature was silhouetted against the flickering light of the torches in the castle corridor, giving her words an ominous effect. "You will be Sorted into one of four Houses: Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. No matter what House you are Sorted into, know that you follow in the footsteps of legends. When you succeed, you will gain House points; rulebreakers, on the other hand, will lose them. The House with the most points at the end of the year will win the House Cup. The Ceremony will begin in just a few moments."

Finishing her speech, the Professor swept into the Great Hall, where Petunia could hear rustles coming from hundreds of expectant students. Her face felt flushed, but the rest of her body was numb. Petunia glanced at Lily and Severus; while their eyes looked bright, she couldn't tell whether it was due to excitement or nervous adrenaline. She felt a sudden flush of gratefulness that she wasn't facing everything alone. Grasping one of Lily's and Severus' arms in each of her own, she whispered mockingly, "Ready to be Sorted into our oh so fabulous families?"

Severus smirked, clearly distracted—an action Petunia noticed with satisfaction. "They'll be perfect and wonderful, I'm sure," he drawled. "After all, we're clearly destined to be legends."

Lily giggled, understanding the reference he was making to Professor McGonagall's words. Before she could reply, however, a confident new voice broke in.

"Who thinks they're going to be a legend?" asked a boy nosily. He had the messiest hair Petunia had ever seen. "If anyone's going to be a legend, it'd be us, eh Sirius?"

The handsome boy—Sirius, Petunia thought to herself—sniggered. "Course," he replied with an arrogant toss of his head. "You, me, and Remus—the next legends of Gryffindor House."

The one with the messy hair blinked, suddenly distracted. "Speaking of which, where is Lupin, anyway? Oi, Remus!" he shouted into the crowd of first years. Petunia thought he was being unnecessarily loud. Before the mysterious Remus Lupin surfaced, however, Professor McGonagall returned with a swish of her robes. Petunia dragged Severus' disgusted glance away from the loud boys, glad that they hadn't had to make conversation.

"Form a single line and follow me into the Great Hall," said Professor McGonagall. "It is time for the Sorting Ceremony." They silently made their way into the now hushed Great Hall. Lily gasped upon seeing the ceiling, which showed the grand night sky above hundreds of floating candelabras. Petunia, however, was too busy shrinking beneath the weight of hundreds of peering eyes. How were they to be Sorted?

Professor McGonagall strode to the Professors' Table, standing next to a stool with a moldy looking hat. Petunia glanced nervously between it and the Professor, who made no further motions.

"What's happening?" whispered Petunia, turning to Severus. Lily glanced at him as well, uncertain about what was going on.

"Just watch," whispered back Severus, mouth quirking. "You'll see." At that very moment, the hat started to, of all things, _sing_.

 _Oh, you may think I'm just a singing Hat,_

 _But I hold so much greater importance than that._

 _I'm charged with Sorting you lot, after all,_

 _So put me on, laugh, have a ball!_

 _When Godric Gryffindor whipped me off his head_

 _Only the bravest and most courageous were for him he said_

 _Heroes, fit with sword and shield,_

 _Are surely from the Gryffindor yield._

 _But Helga Hufflepuff smacked his reckless head black and blue_

 _And announced that her House would hold the loyal and true._

 _There was no need for running blood in the soil_

 _If only she had students unafraid of toil._

 _Then Rowena Ravenclaw brandished her famous diadem_

 _And proclaimed that wit and learning would honor all of them._

 _Scholars and inventors streamed under grey and blue_

 _Where only knowledge and sharp minds would do._

 _Last Salazar Slytherin, swift and sly,_

 _Welcomed all the students cunning enough to pry_

 _Secrets from those who challenged Slytherins with connections and ties,_

 _In daggered battles of words where true meanings belie._

 _So pray, don't look down upon me!_

 _(Although you may be taller)_

 _Come on, come all, step up, step right_

 _I'll happily Sort all of you tonight!_

The whole Hall burst into applause after the song while the Hat solemnly bowed to each of the four tables.

"Sev," said Lily fiercely, jostling the boy. "You didn't tell us about this!"

"It didn't come up," he replied unapologetically, but his crooked smile revealed his own delight.

"When I call your names, come up to be Sorted," said Professor McGonagall. "Abbott, Susanna!" With bated breath, everyone watched the trembling blonde climb the stairs to the Hat. After a few moments, the Hat bellowed, "HUFFLEPUFF!" The table on the farthest right exploded in cheers, welcoming the very first of the first years.

The next Sorting, however, confused Petunia. When "Black, Sirius" got called up to the front, the Hat immediately pronounced him a "GRYFFINDOR!" While the table on the farthest left did also cheer for the boy, Petunia noticed a distinct chilliness in the table directly on her right, one that was decorated green and silver. _Slytherin_ , Petunia thought to herself. She resolved to find out what that had been about.

"Bones, Amelia!"

"GRYFFINDOR!" shouted the Hat.

"Chang, Thomas!"

"RAVENCLAW!"

"Diggory, Amos!"

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

Next was Lily's turn.

"Evans, Lily!" called out Professor McGonagall, and Petunia gave her arm one last squeeze before giving her a gentle shove. Lily determinedly stuck out her chin and marched up to the Hat, trying to hide her nervousness under a strong veneer. Petunia watched, heart hammering, as the Hat was lowered onto her sister's head. It didn't take long, however—Lily was pronounced a loud "GRYFFINDOR!" and her sister jumped off the stool beaming. Lily sent Petunia and Severus a flashing grin before making her way to the Gryffindor table.

"Evans, Petunia," called Professor McGonagall next, and Petunia hoped her face didn't look as bloodless as it felt. She later didn't even remember making her way up to the stool; the next thing she knew, the Hat covered her face, blocking her view of the Great Hall.

"My, another Evans?" asked the Hat, and it was only due to Petunia's sheer terror that she didn't notice the excited mutterings across the Hall. "Not very common, two coming from the same family…but perhaps that means great things for you both. Oh yes, I can definitely see it here…a great mind you've got, haven't you? Plenty of cunning…perhaps Slytherin, but there's some loyalty too, if you can wise up some. No, I think there's another House for you…you could be great you know…just look a bit deeper…yes, that's it…there's no choice but—RAVENCLAW!"

Shaking from excitement, Petunia fervously thanked the Hat before handing it over to Professor McGonagall, and made her way over to the middle table cloaked in blue. She was in Ravenclaw! Petunia's face flushed as the cerulean students patted her on the back and made room for her at the table.

She sat back and began to watch the rest of the Sortings. An interesting one was of the messy haired boy, who turned out to be "Potter, James." He was Sorted into Gryffindor, and Petunia watched as he sat next to Lily and a raucous Sirius Black. The mysterious Remus Lupin turned out to be a pale boy with grey-dusted honey hair, and he made his way to the first year Gryffindors as well. Severus was promptly Sorted into Slytherin, and Petunia gave him a wave as he passed her by for the Snakes. He gave her his crooked grin in return.

After everyone had been Sorted and the students rustled restlessly in their seats, a man who was unmistakably Headmaster Albus Dumbledore stood to say the most beautiful words many of them had ever heard: "Tuck. In." Petunia, however, was struck by a sudden musical melody bursting out of the Headmaster. Remembering Severus' words from the boat, Petunia began wondering about the seemingly random sequences she heard…

Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, Petunia sighed a bit as she looked towards the Gryffindor table again; she was a bit sad that she hadn't been Sorted with Lily, and felt a pang of loneliness. But the next moment Lily looked up from her conversation with an upperclassman and gave her a beaming wave, making Petunia feel more comfortable. Even better, a Ravenclaw prefect then turned to speak to the first years seated at the table.

"Welcome, you lot!" he grinned. "I'm Parker Boot, fifth-year prefect this year. Just let me know if you have any questions, and I'll be the one showing you to the Tower after the Feast tonight."

Petunia smiled gratefully, but otherwise remained silent. Her own attention was drawn to one of the first year girls, who offered her hand to Petunia. "I'm Rachel Moon," she announced. "You were the one who had a sister Sorted right before you, right?"

"Yes, that's right," Petunia answered. "I'm Petunia Evans, and my sister is Lily Evans, who was Sorted into Gryffindor."

"Are you twins?" Rachel asked curiously. "I don't think siblings are usually in the same year, and I didn't recognize your surname either."

"We are twins, actually. And I don't see why you would; we're both Muggleborn," said Petunia. She braced herself for potential ridicule over her blood status. On the contrary, however, Rachel just looked even more interested.

"Two Muggleborns from the same family? That's incredibly rare, even if you are twins," she said. Petunia just shrugged, the words not meaning much to her.

"It's just the way it turned out to be, I suppose," she replied.

Rachel looked far from satisfied from her answer, but appeared to let the matter rest for now. "Well, in either case, let's be friendly," the girl suggested with an amiable smile. "We'll certainly be seeing each other incredibly often."

Petunia gave her a smile back, a bit shy this time. "I'd like that," she said, and the two girls began to eat their dinner, neither one realizing the creation of a legendary friendship.

* * *

"The art of Transfiguration is strict and unforgiving," said Professor McGonagall imperiously. "It requires a focused and ordered mind." She then flicked her wand towards the blackboard, on which appeared a massive amount of words. "And no mind can be ordered without notes! We will spend the first half of our lesson learning the theory behind object-to-object transfiguration…" Ignoring the disappointed expressions on the first years' faces, the Professor began lecturing on why turning a matchstick into a needle would be crucial to their future learning.

Petunia wrote ferociously, trying to fight against the cramps her right hand was experiencing. Professor McGonagall, the head of Lily's House, was so famously draconian that no one wanted to miss a word she was saying. It was an hour later when the Professor finally called an end to the notes; the first years gave a silent but united sigh of relief when they finally allowed their hands to rest.

Professor McGonagall then passed out one matchstick to each student and instructed them to visualize turning it into a needle. "Be mindful of each object's characteristics," she said. "You must _see_ the rounded red tip of the matchstick changing into the sharp, silver end of a needle."

As the students began trying to change their matchsticks, Petunia took a moment to observe the classroom. She had began realizing that every person with magic had a unique musical measure, almost like a song fingerprint. Older and more powerful figures had louder sequences, Petunia surmised, as she could hear the song from Professor McGonagall clearly even without focusing on her. Even more, Petunia could hear the faint tones of the Headmaster's melody trailing around in the castle hallways.

But now wasn't the time for idle discoveries. Petunia looked at the small stick and imagined it smoother, pointier, and skinnier. " _Mutatio_ ," she chanted. Petunia thought the matchstick was somewhat skinnier, but overall could not see a change. She tried focusing on the tip of the match, shaving away the wooden layers to reveal a shiny, pointed tip. " _Mutatio_ ," she said again. To her delight, the top turned into a needlepoint—but the rest of the match remained the same. This time, Petunia tried visualizing the entire stick—each layer of dark brown wood coming off the match, revealing the smooth, metal grey needle, its sharp point glinting in the light. " _Mutatio_ ," she said firmly, and there finally lay a tiny, perfect little needle.

Professor McGonagall came over to check on the students' progress and noticed Petunia's needle lying in front of her. Unknown to Petunia, the Professor's eyes widened a fraction before she quickly hid her surprised reaction. "Very nice work, Miss Evans," she said briskly. She then held up the needle to show the entire class. "Notice the sharp point and the smooth texture," she said, and handed the needle back to Petunia with a small smile.

By the end of the class, James Potter was the only other student who managed to turn the matchstick into a needle. He, along with Petunia, received ten points each for their respective Houses. Petunia pettily thought that her own needle looked more elegant, but kept silent.

"How did you do that, Petunia?" asked Rachel as they walked quickly to Herbology. Because the greenhouses were on the Hogwarts grounds, first years had to hurry to make it to class on time. "My parents told me that almost no one successfully transforms the matchstick on the first try."

"It wasn't my first try, though," protested Petunia. "It was my third. Besides, James Potter managed his as well."

Rachel laughed. "First, third, not much of a difference. And James has most definitely received an education before Hogwarts, so his success isn't as striking as yours. You got praise from McGonagall, too!"

"So I did," said Petunia, resisting the urge to preen. Nobody liked a braggart, Petunia told herself, but she had to admit that Professor McGonagall's small compliment had made her day. Seeing Petunia's pride, Rachel just smiled and shook her head at her friend's obviousness.

At Herbology, Petunia formed a group of four with Rachel, Lily, and Severus.

"Morning, Tuney," said Lily cheerfully as she grasped Severus' arm with hers.

"Hi Lily," replied Petunia. "Let me introduce you. This is Rachel Moon, one of my roommates in Ravenclaw. Rachel, this is Lily, my sister. You know already she's in Gryffindor. Severus is in Slytherin. Severus is nice, though, honestly," she added hastily, already aware of the prejudice against the intimidating Slytherins.

Rachel, however, had no qualms at all. "Nice to meet you both," she said with a sincere smile. "I don't care at all about about House stereotypes, so don't worry about that with me," she added for Severus' benefit.

Severus shrugged, seemingly indifferent. "Nice to meet you as well." The four then turned toward Professor Sprout, who had just began speaking. The head of Hufflepuff House was a short and happy looking woman, with sunburnt cheeks and a ready smile.

"We'll start off with something simple to ease you into the subject," the lady said. "Herbology _is_ a plant-based class, after all, so don't be afraid to get dirty! You lot won't be seeing many deadly plants this year, but you need a good, solid basis to prepare you for the more dangerous species later on."

Petunia shivered a little. While the smell of fresh dirt was appealing, she didn't quite enjoy the idea of picking the stuff out from her fingernails. Severus and Rachel appeared to feel the same, but while Severus stood with only a small frown to indicate his disinterest, Rachel looked close to panic as she caught sight of a worm in one of the pots.

"I suddenly remembered that I hate, hate, hate bugs or insects of any kind," Rachel said, huddling closer to Petunia. "They are the bane of my existence, and if anything flies towards my face I will scream."

Petunia looked at her normally quiet friend, surprised at her vehemence. "I understand," she tried to soothe. "I don't really like bugs that much either."

"I'm sorry, but you really _don't_ understand," Rachel said, shaking her head. "I. Will. Scream."

Lily tried to muffle her laughter. "We'll keep the big, bad bugs away from you, Rachel," she teased.

Rachel smiled back, but still stood a little behind Petunia. "Thank you," she said, and although her words were light, Petunia had that feeling that Rachel meant every word.

Out of the four. only Lily seemed to really enjoy the lesson, in which they were tasked to plant Mandrake seeds. Because the baby-shaped plants would later need space to grow, they needed to carefully mold the surrounding soil into a small dome-ish space.

"I don't understand why you're having fun with this, Lily," said Severus, his expression filled with distaste.

"Oh, lighten up, Sev!" laughed Lily. "It's just a bit of gardening. Like with Daddy at home, right Petunia?"

Petunia grimaced. "I didn't like gardening with Papa even then," she said.

Lily shook her head at her group mates. "I may have to find new partners," she joked, even while gently brushing aside the soil for the seed.

Professor Sprout came over and praised Lily's handiwork. "Excellent job in molding the soil, Miss Evans," she said. "Take ten for Gryffindor."

"Thanks, Professor!" said a beaming Lily. Even when the professor left, she hummed to herself as she finished planting. Petunia shook her head, amazed at Lily's passion for the subject. She knew that Herbology would never be her favorite subject; Transfiguration was where her passions lay. As her thoughts turned to her matchstick lesson, Petunia began happily humming as well. Severus looked askance at the singing sisters and turned to Rachel to see if she also saw the strange sight. However, Rachel was dreamily staring off into space, oblivious to anything around her. Severus shook his head in exasperation. Girls! Because of their respective thoughts, no one noticed that the seeds Petunia were planting slightly glowed when covered with dirt.

The next week flew by in a blur. Besides Transfiguration and Herbology, they also had History of Magic on Mondays and Wednesdays. The first year students always drifted off to sleep in the class, the dull drone of the ghostly Professor Binns lulling them to dreamland after their rousing activity in the greenhouses. Rachel fell asleep the hardest of them all, her dripping ink creating smears across her parchment as she trailed off to sleep in the middle of her note taking. Petunia thought it was hilarious and would often poke her friend awake, to which Rachel would sleepily take a few more notes and then slump over asleep again. Even the Marauders, the pranksters of Gryffindor, were quiet in the monotonous History of Magic lessons, leaving Lupin the only student awake and unscathed by Binns' goblin war lectures.

Tuesdays and Thursday afternoons were reserved for Charms and Defense Against the Dark Arts, while every Thursday evening after dinner the first years trekked to the tallest tower for their Astronomy lessons. Lily and Rachel excelled in Professor Flitwick's class, being the only students to successfully shoot their feathers up to the ceiling.

"It's levi _o_ sa, not levio _sa_ ," Rachel tried to explain to Petunia, but her feather stubbornly refused to budge from the table. Petunia prodded the feather a few more times before losing patience, and only managed to make it shudder violently by the end of the lesson.

Petunia's heavy mood lifted in the DADA lessons, where every spell they tried came as easily to her as breathing. Only Sirius Black managed to match her in speed, and they often engaged in indirect but intense bouts of competition where they tried to beat the other in learning new spells. The young DADA teacher, Professor Syles, tried to maintain some order but the classes soon became more of a free session after he performed the the wandwork and theory of the day. Bolstered by her successes and frustrated with Professor Syles' teaching methods, Petunia resolved to study more advanced material on her own.

Astronomy lessons were interesting but complicated. Petunia's head always spun when memorizing the countless moons, stars, planets, and Rachel's often nonsensical mnemonics just confused her even further. Their broomstick lessons were overly hyped, in Petunia's opinion. While Lily showed to have a surprising aptitude for brooms and pushed her broom to furious speeds, Petunia and Severus were content to move peacefully throughout the air. Rachel loved flying as well, Petunia found, and she watched as her friend who was so scared of insects had no qualms about flying dangerous-looking loop de loops hundreds of feet in the air.

Severus was the undisputed leader in double Potions, which they had on Fridays. Professor Slughorn only took a break from gushing over the "charming" Potter and Black when he saw Severus' potions, which were always perfect. Sometimes Slughorn commented that Severus' potions seemed more potent than his own potions were when he had been a first year, and Severus preened under his Head of House's attention. The only drawback to Slughorn's attention was the ire of the Potter and Black, who seemed jealous that a Slytherin was receiving so much praise. They seemed committed to sabotaging Severus' potions; with Pettigrew's worshipful presence and Lupin's grudging help, the Marauders spent most of their Potions lessons doing whatever they could to cause Severus' cauldron to explode.

It was in one of these Potions lessons that someone got hurt.

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A/N: Thanks to all of those who reviewed/favorited/followed! I love getting feedback. For the purpose of this story, I've decided to make Lily and Petunia twins, if just to explain that they're the same age. Also, I will probably be rushing through the first few years of their Hogwarts years; most of the interesting things I want to write about occur in the fifth year on. Please R&R!


	3. Chapter 3: A New Vendetta

Disclaimer: Only J.K. Rowling owns Harry Potter. Not me, sadly.

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"The Boil-Cure Potion!" cried Professor Slughorn, his third chin wobbling dangerously. "Very useful to Madam Pomfrey up in the Hospital Wing, so consider today's lesson very important for the future!" At this he waved a plump finger at poor Robert Midgen, whose reddening face highlighted the unfortunate results of a Marauder prank. Petunia sniffed; Professor Slughorn's inability to become aware of anything negative about his favorite Marauders always grated on her logical sensibilities.

James Potter chose that moment to snigger. "Shame that there aren't any potions to cure greasy gits, eh Sirius?" Sirius Black guffawed, turning to toss a taunting look back at Severus.

The laughter drew Slughorn's attention; the man turned towards their direction with an indulgent expression. "Something to share with the class, boys?" he boomed.

Black offered his most charming smile at the Professor—which, Petunia had to admit with great reluctance—was a very effective one. "Nothing important, Professor," he said. "Just pondering on the strength of grease."

Slughorn smiled back, clearly confused but happy to appease the two charismatic boys. Potter and Black sniggered once more, watching in delight as Severus' face grew red with rage. Petunia watched with dissatisfaction as Lily, Severus' potion partner, grabbed his wrist and whispered frantically, obviously trying to clam him down. (Petunia thought the Marauders merited a good hex or two.) For the meantime, it worked; he settled with a nasty glare towards a still-giggling Pettigrew.

The class settled down as each student began preparing the required ingredients. Because Rachel refused to touch bugs, Petunia was responsible for stewing the horned slugs, while her friend deemed to crush snake fangs while keeping an eye on the nettles they needed to dry over an open flame.

"I have no idea how I can feel such disgust and pity at the same," said Rachel as she looked at Petunia dropping live slugs into the boiling cauldron water.

Petunia shrugged. "I imagine it's how we can eat beef or chicken comfortably but can't bring ourselves to kill the poor beasts ourselves," she said, stirring the slugs. She then used her wand to lower the flame. Rachel then brought over the dried nettle, dropping each strand every three clockwise stirs.

"What's next after the nettles?" asked Petunia.

"The book says to dump the snake fangs all at once after ten minutes of stirring, followed by the porcupines _after_ we take the cauldron off the flames," recited Rachel without looking up from the potion.

Petunia shook her head in amusement. "Trust you to memorize the text," she said.

Rather than looking proud, Rachel looked a bit exasperated. "It's so that I don't completely fail the quizzes Professor Slughorn gives us," she said, referring to the weekly written exams preparing them for actual potion-brewing.

"That's really true," Petunia agreed. "Speaking of which, for next week's quiz, do we need stewed toads or stewed frogs for the potion?"

Before Rachel could reply, a new voice broke into their conversation. "Trust Ravenclaws to talk about schoolwork above all things," said Sirius Black with a smirk.

Petunia faced him with slitted eyes. "What do you want, Black?" she sneered. Added on to the fact that only he challenged her in DADA twice a week, Petunia disliked his arrogant nature. Perhaps, she told herself wryly, because she herself also tended to be proud. Didn't a person dislike their own characteristic traits in others?

Sirius raised his hands, trying to show his defenseless state. "Nothing much, Evans," he said with an appeasing smile. "Just asking to see if you could spare some porcupine quills. James and I are out, you see."

"Why don't you use the Potions stores?" asked Rachel sensibly, trying to defuse the tension. "I'm sure there are bunches there."

"Ah Moon, you'd think, being a Pureblood, you'd know that store ingredients aren't fresh," Sirius replied.

Rachel conceded the point. "Maybe so," she said.

Petunia quickly grabbed some quills and thrust them in his hands. "Take them then," she said. "Will you go away now?"

Sirius winced as a few poked his hands. "Thanks, Evans," he said, before walking away. Petunia watched him for a few seconds, Lily and Severus catching her attention in the way. She could see that as always, their potion seemed to be a couple steps ahead of her own, already turning thick and creamy.

"I don't really see why you hate him so much, Petunia," said Rachel, trying to pick up their potion off the flames.

"Let me help," said Petunia, grabbing one end of the surprisingly heavy cauldron. She continued, "And I know it's not completely logical to hate him, as he hasn't been rude to me personally, but I just _do_. He's so mean to Severus!"

Rachel opened her mouth to argue back, but at that moment something exploded on the other side of the room, causing mild chaos. Petunia swerved around—it was Severus' cauldron!

"That can't be," said Rachel. "Severus _never_ messes up the potion."

Petunia, however, was distracted by the sight of Lily lying on the floor. "Lily!" she shrieked, and sprinted to a stop beside her unconscious sister.

Severus was crouched beside her as well, looking bewildered and panicked. "I didn't—I don't understand—it was fine—" he babbled.

Professor Slughorn quickly came over to examine Lily. "Just unconscious, fortunately," he said, casting a spell to lift her into the air. "I'll take Ms. Evans up to the Infirmary. For now, consider the class dismissed!" As the other students began packing up their materials, the Professor stopped to peer at the cauldron contents. "Porcupine quills added while on the fire?" he mused aloud, surprised. He turned to Severus. "Quite unlike you, my lad," he said. "But accidents happen to the best of us, I daresay." He began shuffling off, unaware of Severus' suddenly furious expression.

"I made sure to keep the quills away," he said, grappling for his wand inside of his robes. "They're extremely hazardous, of course I wouldn't put her in danger—!"

Petunia also realized who the culprits were, a chill settling down on her features. " _Black_ ," she snarled, and even Severus stopped to stare at Petunia's glacier expression.

Rachel darted to her side, somehow understanding what would happen. "I'll follow your sister to the Infirmary," she promised, and ran to keep up with Slughorn.

The Marauders were frozen at the front of the classroom, staring at the space where Lily had lain.

"We're so incredibly sorry," came forward Remus, his hazel eyes wide. "We didn't—I didn't," he stammered.

Petunia strode forward, "Move, Lupin," she said, her voice deadly calm. Severus came to stand behind her, silently watching her back.

"Petunia, that wasn't—," began James, but he was cut off by Petunia rushing forward towards Sirius.

"I know what you did, Black, and I'm furious," she said softly. "Lucky for you, I know that the explosion couldn't have been fatal. But _if you try to hurt my friends ever again—!_ " her voice rose to a shriek, and in a moment of pure frustration, Petunia kicked Sirius between the legs. He toppled over with a cry of pain, oblivious to the panicked Marauders fluttering around him. Meanwhile, Petunia sniffed and rushed out.

Severus paused to glare at the Marauders, disdainfully glancing at the whimpering Sirius. "I let it go when it was just me," he said said. "But now that Petunia will be helping me, you'd better watch out." With that, he followed after the Ravenclaw with robes a billow.

* * *

Even though Petunia logically knew that Lily was alright, she couldn't help feeling guilty as she watched her sister sleeping against the pristine Infirmary sheets. After all, it had been Petunia herself who had handed Black the porcupine quills!

"It's not your fault, Petunia," said Rachel, correctly guessing at her thoughts. Her next words, however, were unexpected. "If anything, it's mine!"

Petunia looked at her friend in astonishment, shocked out of her guilt. "What do you mean? I was the one who gave Black the quills."

Rachel sighed. "Well yes, but if I had just made Sirius use the quills from the Potions stores, Lily wouldn't have gotten hurt."

"That's stupid," Severus butt in. "It's the _Marauders'_ fault. Black would've gotten the quills from somewhere either way."

Petunia looked at Severus. "I want to get them back, Severus," she said furiously. "It's time to take them down a notch."

"I agree," said Severus. "I have to admit that I have a lot of knowledge on hexes, Petunia. If we use those—"

"No," broke in Petunia, shaking her head. "We need to make a _point_ , Severus. I want to show them how cruel and humiliating their so-called pranks can be. I want them to feel just how Robert Midgen felt with his face covered in boils, and Alice Macmillan with canaries nesting in her hair, and you over your looks, and _Lily_! No." She shook her head again.

"I don't know how I feel about doing the same things the Marauders do," said Rachel with a worried frown.

"No, I agree with Petunia. It's also a very Slytherin-ish plan," said Severus with an approving nod. Seeing Rachel's still-anxious expression, he relented a little. "Of course, you shouldn't feel obligated to be a part of this campaign," he said. "I wouldn't blame you. We'll be doing things that wouldn't exactly be approved of."

Petunia gave Rachel a nod. "You can go ahead, Rachel," she said. "Severus and I can discuss things on our own."

Although Rachel still looked apprehensive, her face relaxed at the thought of staying out of the surely coming chaos. Giving her friends one last glance, she slipped out of the Infirmary. Now alone with the sleeping Lily, Petunia and Severus put their heads together to plan their newfound vendetta against the Marauders. And that was how the Ravenclaw and the Slytherin found a common ground against the Gryffindors.

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A/N: Thanks for all the reviews and the new followers/favorites! I'm finally back in college, and the work is seriously piling up, which is why this update is so late. It's a lot shorter than I originally planned on it being, but I wrapped it up so that I could release it faster. Please excuse any mistakes, and hope you all enjoy!


	4. Chapter 4: The Aftereffects

The halls of Hogwarts had always been filled with the founders' legends. Famous were the stories of Godric Gryffindor defeating flaming chimeras, or those of Helga Hufflepuff's deadly horticultural projects repelling evildoers from the castle. Less evident, however, were stories of Rowena Ravenclaw and Salazar Slytherin, perhaps mirroring their less forthcoming personalities. The full capabilities of Slytherin and Ravenclaw were shrouded in mystery, which is why no one ever foresaw the absolute reign of terror that Severus and Petunia unleashed on Hogwarts—or more specifically, on the Marauders.

For weeks, the Marauders were pranked, hexed, and charmed to an inch of their lives. Of course, none of the harassment was seriously harmful; it wasn't in either Petunia's or Severus' plans to raise undue attention among the Professors. Furthermore, they threw off possible suspicions by pranking random targets—an unfortunate but necessary tactic brought up by the Machiavellian Severus. Petunia, displaying how successful of a Slytherin she could have been, also asked Rachel to start rumors saying that the true culprit resided in Gryffindor, a House that was admittedly known for excessive mischief.

While Petunia and Severus waged their war, Lily was released from the Infirmary high in both spirits and health, and resumed classes with nary a scratch. The only minor hiccup occurred when she saw Sirius Black (whom she thoroughly hexed), but everything else resumed to a semi-normal state. Seeing just how fine Lily was, Petunia and Severus relented a little in their dislike for the Marauders, but still continued their vendetta either way. To tell the truth, all the research needed to fuel their pranks had contributed significantly to their practicals in classes, and both gained a particular ability to sneak through the castle unnoticed during nighttime. To top it all off, they _might_ have been having a little bit of fun too; there was something of an allure in being successfully sneaky right under the noses of Professors, no matter how much they respected them. A giggling Petunia also helped Severus sprinkle a powdered Hiccupping Potion onto Professor Syles' robes during class, an invention Severus had created. Even Professor Slughorn was dumbfounded to why his own antidotes could not cure his colleague.

Of course, things eventually came to a head. While the various acts of misdirection might have thrown off the rest of the Hogwarts population, the Marauders obviously had a very good idea of who their tormentors were.

"We know it's you, you know," James Potter said, referring to Petunia and Severus. The four Marauders formed a small half circle around the other two, and Petunia saw something flash across James' face.

"I'm sure I have no idea what you're talking about," said Severus smoothly. "How about you, Tuney?"

"I agree, Sev," replied Petunia, and they exchanged rather obvious smiles. "No idea at all."

James shook his head, an odd look on his face—Petunia could have sworn it was amusement. "All of our hair changing colors when we sneezed; Sirius' underwear strung out in the Great Hall; Peter's nose growing every time he spoke—ringing a bell?"

"No," said Severus while picking at his fingernails indifferently.

Peter butt in. "We _know_ it was you two! No one else has any reason to hate us this much, and we're receiving the most of the pranks. The nose prank really hurt when Madam Pomfrey had to force it back into my face, you know," he added reproachfully, rubbing his nose. He thought it still felt bruised.

"Besides," said Remus calmly, "the Pinocchio incident in particular narrowed down our suspects. Very few wizards know the story."

"So what _if_ Severus and I are behind the pranks?" Petunia said haughtily. "What are you going to do?" Beside her, Severus mentally shook his head at her blunt words, as they were practically a declaration of guilt.

"Well, we can't really hold it against you, can we, Evans?" asked Sirius Black, hands crossed behind his head. "After all, we _are_ sorry about Lily. And we know how to take a joke. But we're only trying to confirm because some of the pranks were—" he broke off with an admiring laugh.

"—Bloody brilliant, that's what," interjected James with bright eyes. "As pranksters ourselves, we had to appreciate the work that went into them!"

Petunia couldn't refrain from exchanging a surprised glance with Severus. Of all the possible reactions that she had imagined from the Marauders, respect hadn't been one of them. The unexpected praise, however, appealed to her proud side; even she had to admit that some of her ideas had been ingenious. She knew that even Severus was slightly pleased by looking at the curl of his mouth, though anyone else would perceive his face as dour and sarcastic as usual.

"If we happen to meet these amazing pranksters, we'll pass on the message," drawled Severus.

James rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah," he said, "act all Slytherin-ish. But just know that we know!" And with a drama only eleven-year-olds could produce, the Marauders swirled off to leave Petunia and Severus alone in the corridor.

From that moment on, the Marauders treated Petunia and Severus with an air of respect, trying to strike up a camaraderie with the two. They rebuffed the Marauders' advances, but the boys' clear admiration did wonders to soften Petunia's anger. Coupled with Lily's cheerful presence, Severus especially began to hate the boys less when James Potter came by to apologize—for a different reason.

"I'm here to say sorry for all of us," said James frankly, hazel eyes intent. "We were just being brainless, when we made fun of you." He offered a hand to Severus, and when the latter seemed unwilling, James forced Severus' hand in a shake. "It's not enough, I know," he said, "but it's a start."

Severus jerked his hand back. "Don't presume to know anything about me," he sniffed, but James just gave a good-natured chuckle and slapped his back before heading off.

"You're alright, Snape," he said, ignoring Severus' gobsmacked expression, and headed off to where the other Marauders stood.

From that moment on, James and Sirius were only too happy to badger Petunia and Severus for prank knowledge—or, at least, what seemed to them like important information. Peter, in particular, was a devoted listener, and Remus just seemed happy that events had let him able to focus more on his studies and less on mediating the fights that James and Sirius got into. Of course, Petunia and Severus were no bending daffodils, and often thrashed the Marauders with biting words and sarcastic exchanges. But much like the battle with a troll that occurred in a distant universe, Petunia and Severus found that some things just couldn't withstand the onslaught of friendship—such as the enthusiasm and pure force that the Marauders contended. And so the first year of the unlikely friends ended with a happily confusing finality.

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A/N: Whew, another one done! I have to apologize for the rushing of the timeline, but I do want to get to the more interesting parts. From now on, I'll be focusing even more primarily on Petunia, and the relationships she builds while at Hogwarts and on. Now that I've gotten most canon things out of the way, I feel freer to make the story more AU. I really want to write a good romance/romances too, so send me suggestions! (Also, stick with me as I change my username.)


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